Shoe



ct. 18, 1938. l C. JANNINGS 2,133,352

SHOE

Filed NOV. 29, 1937 gym/M Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFi-CE SHOE Charles J. Jannings, Union, M0.

Application November 29, 1937, Serial No. 176,971

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes, one of the objects being to reinforce a shoe structure at the junction of the heel and outer sole. A further object is to provide a Very simple and inexpensive reinforcing device that can be easily and quickly positioned in the shoe structure, and which cooperates with other elements of the shoe to resist the stresses tending to separate the heel from the soles. More spel ciflcally stated, an object is to accomplish these results through the medium of a stiff brace or support firmly interlocked with the heel, and

extending from the breast of the heel to provide a firm seat for the shank portion of the if outer sole.

In one form of the invention, this shank brace is a simple piece of sheet metal, or other stii sheet material, having a concealed portion interlocked with the heel and outer sole, and an no extended portion exposed below the outer sole. The interlocking elements firmly unite the heel with the brace and the outer sole, at the same time providing a firm anchorage for the overhanging seat which lies immediately below the outer sole. When thus united and braced at the junction of the heel and outer sole, the several elements are well adapted to withstand the frequent shocks tending to kick the heel from the soles. pi, With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and shown in the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one 3y, form of the invention. However, it is to ce v understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a side View, partly in section, illustrating a shoe embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a heel having a recess to receive the stiff brace. Figure 3 .is a detail View of the brace, preferably made of metal, or other stiff material, having a flanged rear portion conforming to the recess in the heel.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the stiff brace interlocked with the heel.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portion of the outer sole having a rear margin adapted to be seated between the stiff brace and a projecting lip which extends from the heel.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 6--6 in Fig. 4, with the outer sole added to the structure.

The shoe comprises a heel 'I which may be made of wood, the invention being especially adapted for womens shoes having high heels, which are frequently made of wood. However, the heel may be made of any other suitable material. The inner sole 8 may be attached to the heel in the usual manner by means oi a screw 9 and nails lil. An ordinary steel shank piece Il may be located between the inner sole 3 and the outer sole i2. The upper i3 is attached to the inner and outer soles in any suitable manner.

In making a shoe it is customary to attach both soles to the upper I3, and then attach the heel to soles. However, the rear portion of the outer sole is usually seated upon the top of the heel. In the new structure, the heel is provided with a lip I4 extending from the top of a recess I5 (Fig. 2), and the rear margin of the outer sole I2 is seated in this recess, where it lies immediately below the lip I4, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6.

Attention is now directed to the stii brace I6 extending from the recess I5 and contacting with the bottom face of the outer sole i2. If desired, this brace may be attached to the sole by means of a nail Il clinched on the metallic shank piece Il vas shown in Fig. l, but such attachment is not essential. This brace I6 is rmly seated in the recess I5, and in the preferred form of the invention, it has a flange I8 contacting with the rear wall of the recess. The Upper edge of said flange I8 contacts with the lip It .as shown in Fig. 1, and the rear margin of the outer sole is firmly seated in the brace ifi.

Therefore, any downward pressure on the sole in the area near the heel will be very effectively resisted by the brace I6, which is interlocked with the heel. Furthermore, any forward thrusts on the lower portion of the heel are transmitted to the extended brace I6, and thence to a large area of the sole which is seated on said brace. Bearing in mind that the outer sole is firmly attached to the shoe upper, it will also be apparent that rearward thrusts at the bottom of the heel are transmitted through this reinforced area near the junction of the heel and outer sole, and that the simple reinforcement is well adapted to withstand the frequently occurring stresses which tend to separate the heel from the soles.

Attention is now directed to the combination and arrangement of specic details wherein the several elements cooperate with each other in a particular manner to very effectively perform the y several functions, at the same time producing a neat and entirely feasible reinforcement lacking certain objections found in previous devices of this kind.

The heel has an attaching surface at the top, and the relatively narrow lip I4 is located at the front of this attaching surface, said lip being formed integral with the heel. The attaching surface is recessed at opposite sides of the relatively narrow lp, and the bottom wall of the recess is curved under the lip to provide an approximately crescent-shaped recess at the top of the breast of the heel. The lip I4 has a curved bottom face forming the top wall of the recess. However, this narrow lip I4 is at the middle of the recess, and the top of said recess is open at opposite sides of the lip.

The outer sole I2 has an approximately crescent-shaped rear margin which conforms to the recess, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. At this point, the relatively narrow lip I4 lies directly between the side edges of the outer sole. The interlocked portion of the outer. sole is concealed in the recess, so its side edges are not exposed at the side faces of the shoe.

The interlocked shank brace I5 has a curved bottom portion seated on the bottom of the recess, and an upturned rear marginal portion IS located directly between and contacting with the rear wall of the recess and the rear edge of the outer sole I2. This upturned rear margin i8 of the interlocked shank brace has a curved upper edge conforming to and abutting against the curved bottom face of the lip I4. Said interlocked shank brace I 5 is also provided with an overhanging support conforming to and extending from the curved bottom of the recess in the heel, so as to form an extended seat for the correspondingly curved outer sole.

Downward pressure on this overhanging seat will be firmly resisted by the interlocked portion of the brace I6 as such downward pressure will tend to transmit an upward thrust to the rear marginal flange I8 which is seated against the lip I4 to prevent downward displacement of the over hanging seat.

In fact, the brace I6 is so interlocked with the heel and sole that it tends to prevent displacement in all directions, and when the parts are interlocked in this manner, it is not necessary to use nails, or the like, to attach the brace i@ to the shoe. Furthermore, the interlocked portions of the brace IIS and sole I2 are concealed in the recess I5 which extends downwardly from the attaching surface of the heel, so these interlocking elements are not exposed at the sides of the shoe.

The simple shank brace shown in Fig. 3 is an inexpensive addition to a shoe, and its several elements are arranged to provide unusual strength in the area near the junction of the heel and outer sole, which very materially increases the durability of the shoe.

I claim:

' i. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a lip at the front of said attaching surface, said heel being provided with a recess immediately below said lip, an inner sole secured above said attaching surface, an outer sole having a marginal portion extending into said recess, and a shank brace interlocked with said heel and outer sole, said interlocked shank brace being seated in said recess and provided with an upturned portion abutting against said lip, and said interlocked shank brace being provided with an overhanging support extending from said recess to form an extended seat for the outer sole.

2. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a relatively narrow lip at the front of said attaching surface, the said attaching surface being recessed at opposite sides of said relatively narrow lip, the recess being continued under the lip to provide a continuous recess which extends downwardly from opposite sides of said attaching surface, said recess terminating between the opposite side faces of the heel, and the relatively narrow lip being formed directly between the ends of the recess, an inner sole secured above said recessed attaching surface, an outer sole having a marginal end portion seated in said recess, and a shank brace seated between said end portion and the bottom of said recess, said shank brace being provided with an overhanging support extending from said recess in the heel to form an extended seat for the outer sole.

3. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a relatively narrow lip at the front of said attaching surface, the said attaching surface being recessed at opposite sides of said relatively narrow lip, the recess being continued under the lip to provide a continuous recess which extends downwardly from opposite sides of said attaching surface, said recess terminating between the opposite side faces of the heel, and the relatively narrow lip being formed directly between the ends of the recess, an inner sole secured above said recessed attaching surface, an outer sole having a marginal end portion conforming to and seated in said recess, said relatively narrow lip being directly between the side edges of said marginal portion, and a shank brace extending from the bottom of said recess to form an overhanging seat for said outer sole.

4. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a lip at the front of said attaching surface, the said attaching surface being recessed at opposite sides of said lip, and the recess being continued under the lip to provide a continuous recess at the top of the breast of said heel, an inner sole secured above said recessed attaching surface, an outer sole extending into said recess, and a shank brace interlocked with said, heel and outer sole, said .interlocked shank brace having a bottom portion seatedl on the bottom of said recess and an upturned rear marginal portion located between and contacting with the rear wall of the recess and the rear edge of the outer sole therein, said upturned rear marginal portion of the shank brace having an upper edge abutting against the bottom face of said lip, and said interlocked shank brace being provided with a support extending from said recess in the heel to form an extended seat for the outer sole.

5. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a relatively narrow lip at the front of said attaching surface, the said attaching surface being recessed atopposite sides of said relatively narrow lip, the bottom wall of the recess being continued under the lip to provide a continuous recess at the top of the breast of said heel, said relatively narrow lip being at the middle portion of the recess, an inner sole secured above said recessed attaching surface, an outer sole extending into said recess, and a shank brace interlocked with said heel and outer sole, said interlocked shank brace having a bottom portion seated on the bottom of said recess and an upturned rear marginal portion between the rear wall of the recess and the rear edge of the outer sole therein, said upturned rear marginal portion of the shank brace having an upper edge abutting against said lip, and said interlocked shank brace being provided with a support extending from said recess in the heel to form an extended seat for the outer sole.

6. In a shoe, a heel having an attaching surface at the top and a lip at the front of said attaching surface, the said attaching surface being recessed at opposite sides of said lip, and the bottom Wall of the recess being curved under the lip to provide an approximately crescent-shaped recess at the top of the breast of said heel, said lip having a curved bottom face forming the top wall of the recess, an inner sole secured above said recessed attaching surface, an outer sole having a Vcrescent-shaped margin extending into said crescent-shaped recess, and a shank brace interlocked With said heel and outer sole, said interlocked shank brace having a curved bottom portion seated on the bottom of said recess and an upturned rear marginal portion located directly between and contacting With the rear Wall of the recess and the rear edge of the outer sole therein, said upturned rear marginal portion of the shank brace having a curved upper edge conforming to and abutting against the curved bottom face of said lip, said interlocked shank 'brace being provided With an overhanging support conforming to and extending from the curved bottom of said recess in the heel to form an extended seat for the outer sole.

CHARLES J. JANNINGS. 

